TENG with PDMS modified by sputtered ZnO films

In this work, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was spin-coated onto the substrate and cured in an oven at 85 °C for 1 h. Zinc oxide (ZnO) was deposited on the surface of PDMS for different deposited times. Diluted hydrochloric acid was used as a sacrificial solution to remove the ZnO layer, thereby creating microstructures on the friction surface. The voltage response of the device was measured using an oscilloscope, and the current response was analyzed using a series-connected voltage divider. The best response was observed for 30 min deposition with a voltage of 47.2 V. The power densities of planar TENG (0 min) and microstructured TENG (30 min) were 0.3159 and 7.29 μW/cm2, respectively. It indicated that the microstructured ZnO surface can effectively improve the output performance.